Image processing apparatus and method

Abstract

An image processing apparatus and method are adapted to form an image of an object photographed by a camera at a preset resolution; crop a preset portion from the image; and display the cropped image portion in response to a request from a user. Then, the specific image portion can be zoomed or magnified without degradation of image quality and the zooming power or magnification can be adjusted by cropping and size-adjustment of the specific image portion.

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising: 
 a terminal having a camera; and    a processing unit adapted to form an image of an object photographed by the camera at a preset resolution; crop a preset portion from the image; and display the cropped image portion in response to a request from a user.    
   
   
       2 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the terminal comprises at least one of the group consisting of an MP3 player, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone.  
   
   
       3 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the preset resolution comprises the maximum resolution of the camera.  
   
   
       4 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit comprises a size-adjustment unit adapted to adjust the size of the cropped image portion to a preset image size in response to a request by the user.  
   
   
       5 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the size of the cropped image portion is larger than the preset image size.  
   
   
       6 . An image processing apparatus comprising: 
 a terminal having a camera;    a cropper adapted to form an image of an object photographed by the camera at a preset maximum resolution and to crop a preset portion of the image; and    a size-adjustment unit adapted to adjust the size of the cropped image portion to a preset image size in response to a request by the user.    
   
   
       7 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the size of the cropped image portion is larger than the preset image size.  
   
   
       8 . An image processing method comprising; 
 providing a terminal having a camera;    forming an image of an object photographed by the camera at a preset resolution;    cropping a specific portion of the image in response to a request by a user to crop the specific portion of the image; and    displaying the cropped image portion in response to a request by the user.    
   
   
       9 . The image processing method according to  claim 8 , wherein providing the terminal comprises providing at least one of the group consisting of an MP3 player, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone.  
   
   
       10 . The image processing method according to  claim 8 , wherein the preset resolution is the maximum resolution of the camera.  
   
   
       11 . The image processing method according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 determining whether or not there is a request by the user to adjust the size of the cropped image portion to the size of a preset image; and    adjusting the size of the cropped image portion to the size of the preset image in response to a request by the user.    
   
   
       12 . The image processing method according to  claim 11 , wherein the size of the image portion is larger than the preset image size.  
   
   
       13 . An image processing method comprising: 
 providing a terminal having a camera;    forming an image of an object photographed by the camera at a preset maximum resolution;    cropping a specific portion of the image in response to a request by a user to crop the specific portion of the image; and    adjusting the size of the cropped image portion to the size of the preset image in response to a request by the user.    
   
   
       14 . The image processing method according to  claim 13 , wherein the size of the cropped image portion is larger than the preset image size.